Francisco Pina Polo is Professor of Ancient History at the Departamento Ciencias Antigüedad at the Universidad de Zaragoza. He is co-editor of Coloquios de Historia Antigua Universidad de Zaragoza (I, 2001; II, 2003; III, 2005; IV, 2007; V, 2009), and recent books include Marco Tulio Cicerón (2005).

• Introduction; Part I. The Consular Functions in the Pre-Sullan Age (367–81): 1. The consuls taking office; 2. Consuls and civic religion; 3. Consuls, the agents of diplomacy in the Roman state; 4. Communication between consuls and the people: edicts and contiones; 5. Consuls as legislators; 6. The jurisdiction of the consuls; 7. Consuls as promoters of public works; 8. Colonization and distribution of land; 9. Appointment of a dictator; 10. Consuls presiding over elections; 11. The consular year in the pre-Sullan age; Part II. The Consular Functions in the Post-Sullan Age (80–50): 12. The supposed lex Cornelia de provinciis ordinandis and the presence of consuls in Rome in the post-Sullan period; 13. Consular functions from the year 80 to 50; 14. The consular year in the post-Sullan period; 15. Conclusion.